At the end of the day, you only have yourself. Your friends and loved ones will be there for you when you need them but they won’t be able to understand everything that goes on in your life, they won’t be able to understand the thoughts that haunt you at night. They won’t be able to ease your pain because they don’t know how deep it is or how much you’re hurting.

At the end of the day, you can only trust yourself because people change, their priorities change, their feelings change and their love changes. You’re the only one truly capable of saving yourself from any rut you’re stuck in. You’re the only one truly capable of breaking away from everything that’s pulling you backward.

At the end of the day, you only have yourself, so believe in it. Believe in your heart. Believe in your mind. Believe that you don’t need anyone to complete you and you don’t need anyone to help you live the life you want.

People will always find a way to make you doubt yourself but it’s up to you to decide if you want to believe them or if you want to believe in yourself.

So let them bash you. Let them call you crazy. Let them say you’re not good enough. Let them say you’re too much or too little. Let them call you stubborn and difficult. Let them say you’ll never make it. Let them think they’re better than you. Let me think they’re more important. Let them judge you all they want because all they’re really doing is fueling you to become everything you’re supposed to be and stay true to every little piece of yourself.

They’re doing you a favor because they’re showing you who you don’t want to be around, who you shouldn’t trust and who only likes you when you’re quiet because they can’t handle your voice. They can’t handle you.

So let them say whatever they want because eventually you’ll stop listening and they’ll be nothing but background noise. Eventually, you’ll find your peace away from those who love disturbing you. Eventually, you’ll find yourself away from those trying to tell you who you should be or what kind of life you should live. Eventually, you’ll learn that if you can count on yourself, nothing else counts.

Rania Naim is a poet and author of the new book All The Words I Should Have Said, available here.